Getting on with Delivering the Perth Freight Link

Media Release

JB037/2014

19 May 2014

Joint release with:

The Hon. Dean Nalder MLA

WA Minister for Transport and Finance

The Australian and Western Australian governments are delivering on our shared plan to build a stronger and more prosperous economy for Western Australia by committing up to $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link, a high standard freight connection to Fremantle Port.

We are wasting no time in getting on with the job of building world class infrastructure that will significantly reduce transport costs for heavy vehicle users, boost freight efficiency and improve freight access between the Port of Fremantle and Kewdale.

Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs, Finance Minister Matthias Cormann and WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder today met to begin planning and prioritising the project and toured the site with local members Steve Irons MP, Member for Swan, Dr Dennis Jensen MP, Member for Tangney, and Nathan Morton MLA, Member for Forrestfield.

To support and sustain a growing population and economy, developing freight links that clear congestion and ease pressure on existing roads will provide significant productivity uplifts for Perth.

The Australian Government is committing $925 million to the Perth Freight Link which is expected to remove 65,000 vehicles from the surrounding road network each and every day.

Together with our existing road project investments in the vicinity, such as Gateway WA, the Tonkin Highway grade separations and Northlink WA along the Northern Highway, the Perth Freight Link will complete the key strategic link in Perth's road freight network, providing a direct free flowing connection through the Perth urban area to the Port.

As a result of this investment, heavy vehicle traffic will be reduced on Kwinana Freeway between Roe Highway and Leach Highway and also on Leach Highway between Kwinana Freeway and Stock Road.

This will mean that the existing ban on trucks greater than 19 metres in length (i.e. Restricted Access Vehicles) from using Leach Highway east of Kwinana Freeway to Albany Highway and from South Street east of the Freeway to Roe Highway will be extended to Leach Highway east of Stock Road.

This project is an important piece of Western Australia's future economic infrastructure. Users of the network, and most importantly heavy vehicles, will benefit with the project expected to slash travel times by up to 16 minutes between Reid Highway and Fremantle Port.

The Link's final scope and design will be determined in consultation with the Western Australian community, industry investors and the Western Australian Government.

Works are anticipated to include:

a five kilometre Roe Highway four-lane dual carriageway extension from its existing terminus at the Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road in Coolbellup; and

improvements to Stock Road and High Street.

This is a project with a very strong economic basis, with Western Australian Government estimates indicating that the Roe Highway Extension will deliver benefits of $5.20 for every dollar invested. The Stock Road and High Street improvements will provide $1.70 in benefits for every dollar invested.

The Australian and Western Australian governments are working together seeking opportunities for private sector co-contribution to the Perth Freight Link.

The Australian Government's capacity to fund future infrastructure through traditional financing methods alone, such as grants, will be increasingly challenged with falling taxation revenue and an ageing population.

This is why the Australian and Western Australian governments are working together to unlock private sector expertise and attract private sector capital to fund the Perth Freight Link as the dedicated east-west freight route in Perth.

Some works on the Perth Freight Link project will start mid-2014 with the main works on Roe Highway Extension and Stock Road improvements beginning mid-2015.

It is expected that Perth Freight Link will be open to traffic by the end of the decade.